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MORE: Although Silk founder Stephen Demos was initially bullish on his relationship with Dean Foods' CEO Gregg Engles (now chief executive of WhiteWave), he has since become disillusioned by the sell-out of values that the company he founded originally stood for.
In a juxtaposition to a front-page 2002 Wall Street Journal article touting the relationship between Demos and Engles, where the executives were suggesting that Demos would "change the culture at Dean Foods," the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation recently featured a documentary with Demos' first highly critical comments on the controversy.
In a three-minute trailer for the recent CBC film The New Green Giants, Demos offers poignant on-topic and highly critical comments. The trailer can be viewed at Bulldog Films website: http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/ngg.html
WhiteWave introduced six new packaged SKUs in their macaroni and cheese line. Four of the six are not certified organic and contain materials that are either conventional agricultural products or that have not been reviewed and approved by the National Organic Standards Board.
Non-organic ingredients in WhiteWave/Horizon's "super" or "classic" mac (not certified organic products) include:
Maltodextrin
Non-organic Corn Starch (commonly contaminated with genetically modified organisms)
Natural Flavor
Disodium Phosphate
Extractives of Annatto (a conventional coloring agent that is available in organic form)
Milk Protein Concentrate
Lactic Acid
Because MPCs are illegal to use in some dairy products, Family Farm Defenders' John Peck said that the FDA recently forced Kraft to change labeling for foods containing MPCs from "cheese foods to cheese products." "There is no FDA GRAS status (generally regarded as safe) for MPCs," Peck explained.
Peck noted that MPCs are imported into U.S. to make glue, then "magically transformed into a food product."
WhiteWave reported increased sales in its February 13 corporate earnings call and projected annualized income, after their recent acquisition of the organic produce giant Earthbound Farms, of approximately $2.5 million.
In addition to products aimed at health-conscious consumers, WhiteWave also manufactures or distributes Land O Lakes extended shelf life products, dairy products, International Delight nondairy coffee creamer and is just introducing a line of creamers under the Dunkin' Donuts label.
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